The Falldown Job
by gibbsrossi
Summary: Nate is faced with a job that hits very close to home. Can he complete it and what will the cost to himself be...TeamFic with some N/S at the end
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

The boy was about thirteen years old. He was tall for his age but looked pale and depleted of energy. He had short cropped black hair that shone blue in the lights of the bar and his eyes were a dull grey in colour with a faded look as if they had been washed out by a tiredness that did not fit his age. He stopped briefly at the door his eyes adjusting to the dim lighting. The patrons all turned to look at the youngster some of them shaking their heads in disapproval at such a young lad being in a bar. Having surveyed the bar he strode up to the counter and called the barkeep over. He leant in and asked a quick question of the man who pointed out a person sitting in the far booth around a table with four other people. The young boy thanked him and proceeded in the direction of the table the barkeep had indicated.

He stopped at the table looking at the five people sat around it. One was a beautiful young woman with long blonde hair who stared openly at him. The other was an older lady who was seated next to the man he had come to see. She too had long hair but it was as black as the night and she had eyes that matched. The fourth man was a black guy with big eyes who also was looking at him curiously and next to him sat a young man with long brown hair; he looked tense as if he was a snake ready to strike at any minute. The other man at the table was the one he had come to see. He was older than the others with black unkempt curly hair and blue eyes that were also somehow washed out. He looked at the boy as if he was seeing a ghost and a strange kind of sadness swept over him as he took in the sight.

"Nathan Ford?" The boy asked hesitantly.

"Yes"

"My name is Benjamin Crystall and I would like to hire you to find the man who killed my father…" The boy paused slightly before continuing… "And punish him!" The boy ended forcefully.

Nate was not sure what to say to this incredible statement. He just sat and stared at the boy.

"Well then little man you better sit down and tell us about it." Eliot Spencer said standing up and pulling a chair over to the side of the table. He was not sure what this was about but obviously something was very wrong and he was not going to turn a young boy away after such a request.

Thanking Eliot for the chair the boy sat down. The team introduced themselves and then Nate asked him to tell them his story.

Nate's demeanor darkened during the story but no word was uttered by him or any other member of his team. The tale was a sad one of a young boy with a terrible disease whose dad had tried to get the money he needed to help his son but ultimately had not succeeded and had taken his own life out of the false hope that the insurance company would pay out his life policy which would at least pay for some of the hospital treatment. The boy having finished his story sagged into his seat his energy completely sapped by the effort. Eliot again came to his rescue offering him some water. The boy thanked him but never took his eyes from the man he had come to see. The question was plain on his face. Would Nate help him avenge his fathers' death and would he be able to do it before he, Ben died.


	2. Chapter 2

**I appreciate all reviews… please let me know what you think of the story.**

**Chapter 2**

Nate sat back in his seat. He could see the boy was distraught and he felt his heart tense at the memory of Sam. The problem was that there was nothing he could do for the boy. Yes he thought that the insurance company had killed is dad but that was simply not true. From his story it was clear to Nate that the man had made a rash decision, a decision to take his own life and leave his son alone. Nate felt anger fill him for the man as he looked at his son. Nate could see the expectation in the boys' eyes. He could see the challenge there to help him. How did he tell the boy that there was nothing that he could do for him? How did he make the boy understand that it was his Dad's own choice to take his life? Yes the insurance company did not pay out, but that was probably because they precluded paying for suicide.

"Do you have the letter from the Insurance Company?" Nate finally spoke.

The boy nodded and handed him a small envelope. Nate took it and read the letter it contained. He was right, the policy precluded death by suicide. Now he had to tell the youngster that there was nothing he could do for him. That nobody had killed his Dad. His Dad had taken his own life. It was his choice and as it turned out it was one made for the wrong reason. He must have known that the insurance policy would not pay out. Nate thought about the Dad, his state of mind. He knew that, despite him being a catholic, he had considered the same options. He would have been willing to die, to kill himself, to risk eternal damnation to save Sam. Nate looked at the boy again and took a deep breath before speaking.

"Ben I am so sorry about your Dad…but here is nothing that I can do for you son. Your Dad took his own life, nobody killed him. There is nobody to avenge here…I am really sorry." Nate forced himself to say.

"You're wrong…you are wrong and the people who told me about you are wrong." Ben said quietly, the acid in his voice cutting through Nate. "I don't need your help, I don't need any of you to help…I will avenge my Dad myself." Ben said then stood and walked out of the bar.

Eliot glared at Nate. "Nice man…' He said softly and walked out after the boy.

Nate could feel Sophie, Hardison and Parker staring at him. He knew that they were completely taken aback at the way he had shrugged the boy off. He took a long drink from his glass then stood and walked out of the bar. The other three watched him go then turned to look at each other.

"What the hell man…what is wrong with Nate…I mean, he is probably right about the case but…man…he is only a boy…what the hell?" Hardison said to Sophie. He was trying to figure out why Nate would brush the boy off in such a harsh way.

"I don't know Hardison." Sophie said softly her eyes still on the door that Nate had exited through. "Why don't you and Parker get more information on Ben and his father, as well as the insurance company that was in play…" Sophie said then rose and followed Nate.

"Oooh this is not going to be good." Parker said watching the older woman leave.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Nate left the bar. He just wanted to go to his apartment and have an evening of drinking, drowning his anger, anger at himself, at the boy, at the boys' father. He did not want to see any of his team, especially Sophie. He wanted to be alone. All the memories of Sam in his last days and hours came back to him as he walked. He wanted to drown the memories to forget, the only way to do that was to drink. He looked up and saw a bar ahead of him and turned in. He ordered a bottle of whiskey then walked to a dimly lit booth in the back. Taking the lid off he poured himself a drink which he downed immediately, then refilled the glass.

He had been sitting there for almost half an hour, the bottle in front of him was already halfway finished when she found him.

"Nate…" Sophie said as she approached the man sitting slumped in the booth.

"Go away Sophie…" Nate said rather more harshly than he had meant to.

"I am not going anywhere Nate, we need to talk."

"No, no we don't Sophie. There is nothing to say, there is nothing that I can do for that boy and I DO NOT want to talk about it." Nate said emphasizing the last words and downing the remainder of amber liquid in his glass before filling it again.

"So what you just going to sit here and drink yourself into a stupor…is that your answer Nate…REALLY?" Sophie asked him angrily.

"Yes, that is exactly what I am going to do Sophie…if you don't like it leave." Nate spat at her.

"Fine you selfish bastard. You may not be able to help that boy with what he is asking, but you did not need to brush him off the way you did. Do you know what he is going to do Nate? Do you? He is going to try to exact revenge himself, but you just sit here, just sit here and drink yourself into a coma…because that's what you do isn't it. You run away into a bottle. Well don't let me stop you Nate…" Sophie said angrily. Then she spun around and walked out of the bar leaving Nate reeling at her words.

Nate watched her walk out of the door. He lifted his glass in a mock salute to her and downed the fiery liquid. What the hell did she want him to do, go and hold the boys hand and tell him everything was going to be alright? Well it wasn't, Ben was dying, he was dying and nothing Nate could do would stop that. She just did not understand. He could not watch another boy die and not be able to prevent it. He just couldn't. He poured himself another glass but did not bring it to his lips. What the hell did Sophie want him to do?

When he stumbled back into his apartment a few hours later he was met with a surprise. A surprise he did not much like. Benjamin Crystall was sitting on his sofa with Eliot and Sophie. They were talking quietly with Parker and Hardison sitting opposite them. Nate staggered through the door and then came to a standstill. The five people looked up as he entered. Eliot's eyes dared Nate to say something about it. Nate just looked at all of them and then the boy. He shook his head slightly then made his way to the kitchen. Taking out a bottle of whiskey from the cupboard he staggered up the stairs without a word. Sophie watched him go, a deep sadness in her eyes. She knew this was going to be hard on all of them, but it could break Nate...

Thanks for the reviews…please keep them coming.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 3**

Nate woke the next morning with a terrible headache. He forced himself out of bed and downstairs. The apartment was quiet and he thought for a moment he was alone. Stumbling unsteadily into the kitchen he was met by the unfriendly face of Eliot Spencer.

"What are you doing here Eliot…it's four in the morning…don't you have your own home?" Nate said as he passed the Hitter and headed for the coffee pot.

"We need to talk Nate." Eliot said softly. He knew this was going to be hard on Nate, but he was still angry with him for the way he had treated Ben yesterday.

"No we don't Eliot. We cannot help that boy and you know it." Nate said as he poured himself a mug of coffee and added a bit of whiskey to his morning fix.

"So what you just going to keep on drinking…that it Nate, huh…? That boy needs your help, he needs our help." Eliot said his voice hard.

"Eliot…don't you understand there is no revenge to be had here. His father KILLED HIMSELF…" Nate's voice started to rise as his anger grew.

Eliot stepped forward until he was right in Nate's face and told him to keep his voice down. "Ben is sleeping in your spare room." He finished, he could see the surprise and confusion on Nate's face.

"What the hell Eliot?" Nate asked quietly.

"He had nowhere else to go. I couldn't just let him go out there alone." Eliot said defiance in his voice.

"Eliot what do you want me to do…" Nate asked a tone of desperation mingled with fear in his voice.

"Help him Nate…I know that we cannot help him get the revenge he wants but we can make sure he doesn't try to get it by himself."

"You want to con him into thinking we are doing what he asked…you want to con a dying kid?" Nate asked in disbelief.

"If that is the only way…yes I do." Eliot affirmed.

Nate stared at his Hitter. Was Eliot serious? It was possible, but it was also…well it was wrong. Just then Ben emerged from his room. He looked at both Nate and Eliot then asked if they had decided to help him. His voice was shaky and full of desperation. Nate looked from the boy to his Hitter. He was about to tell the boy again that they could not help him when Eliot stopped him.

"Yes Ben, Nate has decided to help you." Eliot said to the boy.

Nate was about to contradict the man when the young boy ran to Nate and fell against him sobbing.

"Thank you Mr. Ford, thank you so much…I knew you would help me, I knew it." The boy was crying as he clung to Nate.

Nate just stared at Eliot then down at the boy who held him at the waist. He patted the boy on the head and closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Shhhh…its ok Ben…don't cry, we are going to help you…Shhh." Nate soothed the boy. He knew this was not going to end well. Not for him or for the boy. His team wanted this, Eliot wanted this and he was not going get away from it. He was not sure how they were going to pull it off but he was damned well going to try.

Sophie, Parker and Hardison came through the door half an hour later to find Nate sitting with Ben on the couch with Ben going over his story again. Eliot was busy making breakfast. Sophie approached Nate and the boy. Nate heard her come and looked up into her eyes. She saw in his eyes the pain he was feeling sitting here with a dying boy and lying to him.

_Oh God what have we done…_Sophie thought to herself. She could see in those perfectly blue eyes that this was not going to end well for Nate.

**Sorry the chapters are short but this is where I think they should end. Thank you for all reviews, they are really appreciated.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 3**

The rest of the morning was spent talking with Ben. Eliot finished making the breakfast and they all sat down to eat. Towards eleven Ben started to look a little pale and Nate suggested that he go lie down. Ben rejected the offer; he wanted to be part of the planning. Nate promised him that they would not do anything without letting him know what was happening. He told him that a lot of the job would entail just research and then planning. Ben reluctantly agreed and Sophie went with him to his room to make sure he was comfortable.

"Hardison…find out what you can about Ben and his disease. I want to know everything, including how long…" Nate hesitated then cleared his throat and continued. "How long he has until the end." Nate said his voice dropping to a whisper on the last word. Hardison nodded and went to work.

When Sophie returned she informed them that the boy had almost immediately fallen asleep. She looked at the five people sitting around the table. Hardison was working furiously at his computer. She could see his face darken with each bit of information he garnished. Parker was just staring at Nate. Sophie felt sorry for the girl. This was going to be just as hard on her. She still had nightmares about her brother dying. Not for the first time Sophie questioned their sanity for taking on this case.

"What's the plan Nate?" Eliot asked his boss.

"We stall…we make him think we are developing a plan and drag it out as long as possible. We do routine surveillance of the mark, as if it were a real job." Nate said curtly. He was not at all happy with what they were doing.

"Fine…Parker you are with me, let's go get some photos of the building and the CEO…we got to make it look real if we are going to convince him that we are helping. If we don't the repercussions for him will be severe." Eliot said as he stood and turned to Parker. He knew this was hard, hard on Nate; hard on Parker, hell hard on all of them, but it was what needed to be done. They could not save the boy from death, that was impossible, but they could stop him from doing something stupid. If that meant biting the bullet and conning the boy then so be it.

Eliot and Parker left the apartment and Nate turned to Hardison. "Well?" He asked the Hacker.

"It seems the boy left the hospital he was being treated at when they told him his dad had died. He has been sort of on the run since then. The authorities are looking for him."

"Well that makes things complicated." Nate interjected.

"Yeah…as for…well…not much longer…the hospital records show that he was…well…" The usually glib Hardison struggled to complete the sentences. The fact was that Ben had only weeks left, probably less as he had not been on his meds for a while.

"Ok…" Nate said thoughtfully.

"What are you thinking Nate?" Sophie asked him as she sat down beside him on the sofa.

"What am I thinking Sophie…?" Nate asked as he looked at her the pain plain in his eyes. "I am thinking that I have to lie to a dying boy, and that I have to do it until he dies…" Nate said quietly. "I am thinking I need a drink." He added as he stood and made his way to the kitchen. Sophie watched him walk away and could not hide the sadness on her face at the torment this was causing him.

Hardison stared first at Nate then at Sophie, he did not like this, he did not like this one little bit. He decided the best thing he could do was concentrate on the con. He started researching everything there was to know about the insurance company, its employees and its CEO. He would play his part, he thought, even if he did not want too.

A couple of hours later Eliot and Parker returned with photographs and maps. Eliot set up a board in the corner to make it look like they were planning something. Nate was well on his way through his first bottle of whiskey for the day and Sophie and Hardison were working on something on the computer. Ben woke an hour or so later and came out to the living room. He looked pale and weak. Nate knew the signs, he knew that time was short. He took Ben aside and started talking to him, explaining his fictional plan. Ben's eyes lit up as Nate made it real for him. The rest of the team gathered around and helped Nate out with the rouse. Eliot eventually made his way into the kitchen to start dinner and Parker joined him. Ben sat with Nate; he did not leave the Masterminds side. After dinner Ben wanted to hear more and Nate obliged. The boy finally fell asleep against the Mastermind. Nate silently lifted him up and carried him to his room. Laying the boy on the bed he covered him with a blanket. He ran his fingers gently and soothingly through his hair. Then turned out the light and walked straight out of the apartment to the bar below.

**This is really not going well for Nate…Thanks for the reviews, will post again soon.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Sophie and the rest of the team watched him leave. Sophie looked at Eliot concern plain on her face. She could see that concern mirrored on his and the two youngest members of the team. She debated with herself for a second then decided to go down to the bar. Her look told Eliot to keep the other two away from the bar; she needed to speak to Nate alone. He nodded imperceptibly and watched her walk out after the Mastermind. Parker and Hardison both looked over at Eliot for their cue.

"We stay." Eliot said simply and turned back to the kitchen to finish cleaning up. Hardison shrugged and went to the sofa, grabbed the remote and prepared for a long evening of movies with Parker.

Sophie walked into the bar. It was empty as she thought it would be. Nate had closed the door and locked it. He stood behind the bar in the far corner. In front of him was a bottle of whiskey and a full glass.

"Nate…" Sophie said softly as she approached him.

Nate drained his glass and poured another one, choosing to ignore her. He did not want to speak to her or any other member of the team. That is why he had left the apartment. He should have known that they would not have taken the hint, or at least she wouldn't.

"Nate we need to talk about this…you need to talk about it." Sophie said taking a glass down from the shelves and pouring herself a drink from his bottle. He watched her lift the glass to her lips and down the glass in one long drink. Saying nothing he took the bottle and poured another one for her.

Sophie smiled as she watched him pour her another drink. That was good; he was ok with her being there at least. She decided that he would speak when he was ready. She made herself comfortable on one of the stools opposite him and lifted the glass to her lips again, this time only taking a small sip. They remained like that for what seemed an age. Nate was also sipping his drink slowly now. Sophie could see he was wrestling with something but remained silent.

"I don't think I can do this Sophie…" Nate muttered so softly that she almost missed it. Her heart broke at the trembling in his voice and the pure anguish in his tone. Nate looked up at her and she could see his eyes swimming in unshed tears. "Every time I see him I see Sam…" Nate drained the rest of his drink again and poured himself a fresh glass. She knew he was trying to chase the demons away, she knew it was not going to work…it never did.

"I know." She said quietly. There was nothing else she could say. She did not understand the kind of pain he was going through. Losing a child, that was something she hoped she would never experience. This must be pure agony for him she thought and again she cursed Eliot for putting him through it. No that was not fair she thought. The team, minus the man in front of her, had decided that they needed to do this.

"Nate, I can't say I understand what you are feeling, I can't even begin to imagine, but I do know that you can get through this. You are not alone Nate. Just remember that, whatever happens you are not alone." Sophie said to him her eyes filling with tears as she spoke.

Nate did not look at her. She did not understand. None of them did. He was alone. In his mind, with his thoughts, with his memories he was alone. Every time he looked at Ben he saw Sam, every time he lied to him he remembered the lies he had told Sam. 'Don't worry son you are going to be fine' or 'Daddy's going to make everything better' or 'It's going to be ok Sam…' Lies he told to him until he died. Now these people, these people he would gladly die for were asking him to go through it all again. He did not think he could do it, even for them. Every time he closed his eyes he saw his son die again, over and over. Nate looked up at the ceiling and let out the breath he had been holding. He reached for his glass and drank the amber liquid down before filling it again. The only way he was going to get some peace was if he was so drunk he could fall into a dreamless sleep.

"Is drinking really going to help you Nate?" She asked and regretted her words almost immediately. Nate looked at her fiercely and downed the drink he held, then poured another.

"Yes Sophie, yes it is and don't you dare lecture me. I am going to do this, I don't want to, I don't think I can survive it, but I will do it, for you, for Eliot and the others, but don't you dare lecture me about drinking…" He said quickly and viciously. Then he looked down before continuing in a softer voice "I'm sorry Sophie, but…you've got to…I can't get through this without…I…" Nate tried to explain himself. He was not angry with her or the others. He did not mean to attack her like that; he just needed her to get it. He knew she did not. He could see the hurt in her eyes, yet with it he also saw love and his heart ached.

"Ok Nate. I am not going to stop you, but that boy needs you. He needs you Nate. I am sorry that this is happening; I would change it if I could but I can't. He needs you because he believes in you, he trusts you to help him." Sophie said then finished the drink she had been nursing before standing. "Just be there for him in the morning Nate." She said and then left. She did not want to leave but she knew it was what he needed.

Nate watched her go. He took the bottle and walked over to one of the booths and sat down heavily leaning back and closing his eyes. She was right, he knew she was right. It was too late to turn back now. Nate finished the last liquid from the bottle then got shakily to his feet. He stumbled to the back door of the bar and switched off the light. Standing there in the darkness Nate vowed that he would finish this job. He would see it through to the bitter end. What happened after that…well he would deal with it then.

**Thanks again for all the reviews. Thanks to all of you for your support and kind words. I hope you are enjoying this story as much as "the Crash"…**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

The next days passed quickly. Nate tasked Hardison with making sure that their ruse would be believable to Ben. He and Parker spent their time making sure Nate's instructions were carried out thoroughly. Nate had devised cons that kept Eliot and Sophie busy, they all involved the insurance company in some way or the other and added to the ruse. Nate spent his time with Ben. Not by choice, but because the boy had latched onto him. Ben believed every word, every move that Nate made; Ben truly believed that Nate and the team were exacting revenge on the company that he blamed for his dad's death. Nate had investigated Ben's father's death to make sure that he had committed suicide. He had, there was no doubt about it.

During this time Nate became more and more withdrawn from the team. He had distanced himself from them. The only time he spoke to them was to give his instructions. He would disappear into his room after Ben had gone to sleep. He did not emerge until the morning. They could all smell the whiskey on his breath and saw the red circles around his eyes. He looked more and more tired and haggard as the days went by. Sophie had tried to talk to him, as had Eliot, both had been rebuffed. Parker and Hardison kept their distance; they were both scared of the way Nate had become since the start of the affair.

Eventually after a week of careful planning and preparation they were ready to end the ruse. Everything was carefully planned, down to the last detail. Nate and Ben sat in the living room watching on the big screens the scene play out. Before they could complete the act though, Ben started to convulse violently. Nate held the boy stopping him from hurting himself on anything. He called into the Comms ordering Eliot to get an ambulance to the apartment immediately. The convulsions stopped a few minutes later but Ben was out cold. Nate sat with the boys head resting on his lap until the ambulance arrived thirty minutes later. Ben's breathing had become laboured and his skin cold and clammy. Nate knew the time was short now. He went with Ben in the ambulance to the hospital and gave a list of all the meds he had been on. They took him into the ER and Nate was left standing at the glass door watching as they worked on Ben.

When Sophie and the rest of the team arrived they found him still standing there. Sophie gently took his arm and led him to the plastic seats provided. Hardison had made sure that they were listed as Ben's guardians and that all trace of his missing person alert had been deleted. He did not want them being arrested in the hospital and he was sure that Nate was not about to leave. About an hour later the doctor came out and asked for a Nate Ford.

"He is asking for you." The doctor said to him as Nate stood when he heard his name.

"Is he…how long?" Nate asked hesitantly. He did not want to go into the room but he knew he had too.

"Not long now, maybe an hour, maybe less. I am sorry." Nate merely nodded and then followed the doctor towards Ben's room.

The rest of the team followed the two men closely. The doctor indicated the room and then after repeating that he was sorry, he left them. Nate walked to the open door and looked in. Ben lay on the bed, his eyes closed. The heart monitor gave a steady beat which seemed out of rhythm with the laboured breathing that came from the boy. Nate took a deep shaky breath then entered the room and approached the bed. Ben stirred slightly then opened his eyes.

"Did…did we get him…?" Ben asked weakly.

"Yes…yes Ben we got him. You can rest easy now." Nate said.

"Thank you." Ben said his eyes drooping closed and his voice fading on the words.

Nate just stood there watching him. After a few minutes he turned to go. He was stopped in his tracks by the feel of a small hand grabbing his arm.

"Please…please stay with me…Will you…?" Ben asked softly. Nate closed his eyes and drew in a breath before turning to face the boy. He did not reply, he merely took Ben's hand in his then pulled a chair closer to the bed and sat down.

"Thank you…" Ben said his eyes closing again. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Ben spoke again.

"Do…do you think…do you think that my Dad will be waiting for me?" Ben asked Nate almost fearfully.

"Yes…yes I think he will be Ben. He loved you very much." Nate said softly.

"I'm scared Nate…" Ben said his voice shaky.

"Don't be…I'm not going anywhere and you just need to rest." Nate looked at the boy and saw the light was fading from his eyes. It was not going to be long now. "Just close your eyes Ben; just close your eyes and sleep." Nate said softly rubbing the boys hand gently. He sat like that until Ben drew his last breath, the heart monitor gave a mournful cry and the nurse came in to turn it off. He did not acknowledge her presence, or respond to her words, when she told him that he could have as long as he needed. He just sat there holding the dead boys hand.

Finally Sophie entered the room and took Nate's hand and led him out the room. Eliot followed her in and reverently covered the boy with a sheet and then left hurrying after Sophie. Nobody spoke. Sophie led Nate out of the hospital and into the parking area. Hardison and Parker hurried ahead and fetched Lucille from the spot they had parked her in. Pulling up in in front of the hospital Parker opened the side door. Sophie guided Nate into the van and once they were all seated, Hardison set off for home. They all followed Sophie and Nate into the apartment. Nate made a bee line for the kitchen cupboard and retrieved a bottle of his favorite whiskey. Opening it he took a long deep gulp of the liquid.

"Nate…" Sophie said quietly. Nate just looked at her, then Eliot, Parker and Hardison. He stood looking at them for a few minutes then walked passed them without saying a word and made his way upstairs to his room. They heard his door close and lock.

"Now what…?" Parker said in a small frightened voice.

**Thanks again for all the reviews they are really, really appreciated.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"Now what…"

Eliot looked at Sophie and raised an eyebrow. He had no idea what to do now or how to help Nate. He had never seen Nate like this, so withdrawn, so…so utterly defeated and isolated within himself. Hardison just shook his head slightly and also looked to Sophie. If anybody would know what to do it would be the Grifter. She had known Nate the longest. She was in a relationship with the man… she would know what to do.

"There is nothing we can do for now." Sophie said sadly. She wanted to help but she knew going to him now would be a waste of time and would lead to more trouble. Nate didn't want to talk, he had made that clear. He wanted to drink, get drunk and forget. She would let him do that, tonight. Tomorrow was another story all together.

"Maybe we should all go home and get some rest, it has been a long week and I think this has taken its toll on everybody." Eliot suggested. He recognized that watching a boy die had not been easy on anybody. Yes Nate was hard hit, but so were the rest of them. Parker, Hardison, Sophie and himself, they had all suffered the same loss as Nate had, they had all watched Ben fade away slowly. They needed to heal themselves too.

"Eliot's right. We all need to take some time." Sophie agreed.

"Fine…but I am not going anywhere. What if Nate…what if he…" Parker stammered to a halt. She did not know what she wanted to say. She had a bad feeling, but she did not know how to give it voice. What if Nate what, left…or worse?

"Nothing is going to happen to Nate!" Eliot said rather forcefully. "I'm going stay here, I can sleep on the sofa." He finished trying to give Parker some comfort in his words. She was dealing with a lot now. She blamed herself, he knew, for taking the case and causing Nate so much pain. He could see what she was afraid of, that Nate would do something stupid. She would blame herself if anything happened to him, just like she blamed herself for her brother.

"Well I'm not really tired either…" Hardison said quietly, "I think I will stick around too, I have some work to do on the computer and stuff."

"Well if you are all staying so am I." Parker said making her way to the kitchen to get some of her favorite cereal.

Sophie watched all three of them. She sighed a deep sigh and decided that she was also not going anywhere. They might as well get comfortable; it was going to be a long night. She suggested watching a movie or two; Parker yelled out that she was picking it to which Eliot let out a dejected grunt.

"Fine, but I get to choose the next one." He said as he took his seat on the sofa. Hardison stationed himself next to Eliot with Parker seated on his outside. Sophie sat in the large comfortable chair next to the sofa.

During the movie they had all drifted off to sleep. Sophie curled up on herself in the large chair. Parker with her head resting on Hardisons shoulder and him with is head resting on hers. Eliot sat slumped deep into the sofa with his head tilted back against the back of the sofa. When Parker came awake, the movie was finished and the only sound in the room was the soft snoring of Hardison. He sat up careful not to wake the sleeping Hacker and scanned the room. It was dark except for the light cast out by the television set. Parker was not sure what time it was but presumed it was the early hours of the morning. Sophie was curled up tightly against the slight chill in the air and was fast asleep. Eliot sprawled out on the far side of the sofa, also breathing deeply and rhythmically also indicating sleep. She listed for any noise coming from upstairs but heard nothing. Getting up slowly and carefully she made her way to the staircase and then up to Nate's bedroom door. It was still closed and locked. She gently put her ear to the door. She could hear soft mumbling sounds coming from the other side. She could not make out the words but she did recognize the deep sobs that punctuated them. Nate was crying, no he was sobbing. As quietly as she could she picked the lock to the door and opened it a little. Peering into the room with the door open only a crack she saw Nate on his bed. He was thrashing around obviously in the middle of some awful dream. He was saying the words…_No, no, no and I'm sorry…_Over and over again in between deep sobs. Even in the dim light of the room she could see the tears cascading down his face. He was obviously still asleep though. Next to his bed she saw two empty bottles of whiskey and standing on the nightstand another one half empty. She wondered briefly how anybody could drink so much and not get alcohol poisoning. Her eyes were drawn back to the man as he suddenly sat bolt upright in bed. It took Nate a moment to orientate himself as to where he was and his eyes flew wildly around the room. Finally they settled on Parker who had opened the door enough to let her into the room. He stared at her for a moment.

"Parker…what the hell are you doing in my room?" He hissed at her.

"I'm sorry…I just…I'll go" Parker said as she shrunk from the harshness in his voice.

"Parker…no I'm sorry…you just gave me a fright that's all." Nate said his voice softening as he saw the distress on the young woman's face. 'Did you need something?"

"I just wanted to make sure you were alright." Parker said stopping her flight and turned to face Nate again. He could see the genuine concern on her face and his heart melted.

Nate sat up and pushed himself to the edge of the bed letting his legs hang down. He wiped a hand over his face and sighed. "I'm fine Parker…you don't have to worry about me."

"But I do…we all do." Parker said softly heading into the room and sitting on the bed next to him. "It's what families do isn't it? We are a family Nate…you made us a family…we are supposed to…to…CARE aren't we?" Parker asked.

Nate looked at the young woman. A slow smile spread across his face. She had grown so much since that first time they had done a job together. He could see this was an alien concept for her, caring about somebody else, and this was probably the first time she had said the words out loud. For her, caring meant danger and hurt and pain, so for her to say she cared, that was huge. He thought about her past, her brothers' death, her stay in the foster system, her life had been hard. It had been more than hard and he was almost glad he did not know the details of it. And yet here she sat, telling him that she cared about him. He had no doubt that this case had affected her too. Yet she showed none of that, her only concern was for him. Immediately he regretted his actions from before. Yes, this case had caused him to relive his son's death. Yes it had given him nightmares. Yes he had just wanted to forget. But the most important thing that he forgot is that he now had a family. He forgot that no matter what, no matter how he behaved or how much he drank these people were there for him. Instead of accepting their support he had spurned them. He had ignored them.

"I'm sorry Parker." He whispered. "I'm ok really…" He said. "Why don't you go back downstairs and I'll be down just now…we can have some breakfast?" Nate said instinctively knowing that Parker needed some normality and not deep emotional conversations.

"Really…" Parker asked her face lighting up. Nate had been completely withdrawn from them since they started this last job and she missed their meals as a family. He had disappeared into his bedroom without a word every night and during the day he had avoided them.

"Really!" Nate smiled. "You can wake Eliot up too and tell him I am starving." Nate said his gently.

"No need I'm awake already." Eliot chimed in from the doorway startling both of them.

"Eliot what the hell…"

"Sorry…didn't mean to scare you." Eliot said sheepishly. "I saw Parker was missing and heard movement up here…Sorry."

Nate merely sighed. He was stuck with this makeshift dysfunctional family he thought. He was glad of it. Sophie was right, he was not alone…in fact he was never alone, even if he wanted to be. He merely shook his head slightly and told Eliot to take Parker downstairs and start preparing breakfast. When they had gone he got to his feet and made his way to his bathroom.

"Are you ok?" Sophie's soft voice drifted through the air. He saw her in the mirror. Her hair was disheveled and he could see she had slept in her clothes.

"Just peachy…" His smile belayed his snarky comment. "What about you?"

"Fine, fine…nothing a quick shower and change won't fix." She smiled back at him and walked up to him wrapping her arms around him.

"Good…Sophie…"

"No Nate, there is no need for apologies. We are fine; all of us, our family, and that's all that matters. We will deal with the rest as it comes." Sophie said knowing he wanted to apologize to her for his words and actions. She was not looking for an apology she was just looking for him, the loving look in his eyes when he looked at her. The look that had disappeared over the course of the last week; the one she had feared she would never see again.

"Yes we will. As a family we will…" He said turning and taking her in his arms and kissing her gently.

**Well that's then end…Thanks for the reviews as I said previously they are always appreciated.**


End file.
